Rent increase notices in Alberta

Last reviewed 20 September 2026

Alberta has no rent control — there is no cap on how much rent can be increased. What is regulated is the timing. A landlord must give three tenancy months' notice for a monthly periodic tenancy, and at least 365 days must have passed since the tenant moved in or since the last increase, whichever is later. Rent cannot be increased during a fixed-term tenancy at all.

No cap, and what that actually means

Unlike Ontario and British Columbia, Alberta sets no annual guideline. A landlord may increase the rent by any amount, and a tenant's protection is the notice period and the right to leave rather than a ceiling on the number.

One legal caution: courts have set aside rent increases used as a way of forcing a tenant out — so-called economic eviction. An increase aimed at one tenant rather than at the market is the kind that gets looked at.

And a practical one: turnover is expensive. A unit that sits empty for three weeks costs more than a modest increase earns, and a good tenant who renews is worth considerably more than the extra you might have squeezed out of them. The amount is a commercial judgement; only the clock is a legal one.

How to count "three tenancy months"

This is where notices go wrong. Three tenancy months does not mean ninety days, and it does not mean three months from the day you hand over the letter. It means the increase can take effect on the rent due date that falls after three complete tenancy months have passed following the notice.

In practice, for a tenancy where rent falls due on the first of the month: serve the notice at any point in a given month, and the increase can take effect on the first day of the fourth month after it.

The safe habit is to serve well before the end of the month rather than in the last few days of it, and to record the date and method of service on the tenancy file.

The 365-day rule

Separately from the notice period, a full year must have elapsed since the later of the tenant moving in and the last rent increase. Both conditions have to be satisfied — a landlord who gives perfect notice but whose last increase was eleven months ago still cannot raise the rent.

Note the two clocks run independently, which is what makes this worth tracking properly. You can serve notice before the 365 days are up, as long as the effective date of the increase falls after the anniversary and after the notice period.

Fixed term versus periodic

Fixed-term tenancy. The rent is fixed for the term. It cannot be increased partway through, whatever notice is given — even if 365 days have passed. When the term ends, the parties may agree a new term at a new rent (no written notice is required for that, though the 365-day rule still applies), or the tenancy may roll over into a periodic one, in which case the periodic rules take over.

Periodic tenancy. Month to month, week to week, or another recurring period. This is where the notice rules above apply.

A fixed-term tenancy simply ends on its stated date with no notice required from either party — one of the more significant differences between Alberta and provinces where tenancies automatically continue.

What makes the notice valid

• In writing. Alberta prescribes no government form, unlike Ontario's N1 or BC's RTB-7, but a verbal increase is not effective.
• Names the tenant and the rental premises.
• States the new rent amount and the date it takes effect.
• Signed and dated by the landlord or their agent.
• Served properly — in person, posted, mailed, or electronically where the tenant has consented. Record who served it, how, and when.

Alberta has been moving toward allowing electronic service of notices, so it's worth recording each tenant's consent to email service on file rather than assuming it.

Common mistakes

1. Counting ninety days instead of three tenancy months. They're not the same and the shorter one is invalid.
2. Serving on the 29th. There's no margin. Serve mid-month.
3. Forgetting the 365-day rule because the notice period is satisfied.
4. Trying to increase mid-term on a fixed lease.
5. Asking the tenant to top up the security deposit to match the new rent. The deposit cap is fixed at the rent when the tenancy started and does not move.
6. No record of service. If it's disputed, the question is what you can show, not what you remember.

How Alberta compares

Included because landlords operating in more than one province routinely apply the wrong province's rule. Confirm the current figures with each province before relying on them.

If you're the tenant

Check three things: was the notice in writing, does the effective date leave three full tenancy months after you received it, and has it been at least a year since you moved in or last had an increase? If any of those fails, the notice isn't effective and you can say so in writing.

If the notice is valid, your options are to pay it, negotiate, or give your own notice to end the tenancy. There is no body in Alberta that reviews the amount of an increase.

Frequently asked questions

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